Satellite hookup

Alex55 · 03-15-2021, 04:29 AM

I have a 2021 Thor Omni. I am trying to figure out where the area is to hookup my satellite receiver. I see that above the theatre seats in the cabinet, there is the switch box for all the tvs (HDMI), and the antenna switch (button), but there is no coax connection. I need to connect my Dish receiver to coax to receive signal, then HDMI to the switch box. Has anybody figured out where the cable comes in from outside to all the tv's?

kwplot34 · 03-16-2021, 03:46 AM

It's on the drivers side back by the city water connection, a little black cover you lift up.

Alex55 · 03-16-2021, 03:54 AM

Thanks, yes I am trying to connect my satellite receiver inside the coach. The cable connects to the outside from my satellite dish, but there is no place inside to connect the receiver.

Party of 5 · 03-25-2021, 02:32 AM

Hi Alex, I do my walk-thru tomorrow for the same rig. I did an additional inspection last Sunday and asked the same satellite question. Although my build sheet indicates the rig is wired for satellite TV, the dealer mentioned that additional coaxial is possibly required. I complained it didn’t make sense considering what the build sheet states. We’re supposed to discuss further tomorrow. I’ll update you with the outcome sometime tomorrow.

Alex55 · 03-25-2021, 03:14 AM

Party of 5 I finally got a hold of Thor and they told me that it was not wired for Satellite, but I did take the plate off of the antenna booster and found the cables for the TV's. I tried to straight wire the satellite receiver to the tv bypassing the antenna, but it didn't work. So I will have to run the cable through the window. If they tell you something different, please let me know! Thanks and congratulations on your RV, we take ours out for the 1st time tomorrow for a short trip!

Party of 5 · 03-25-2021, 04:49 AM

Thanks Alex, we’re excited about our first rig. We’ve always had a truck camper, so we are excited and nervous at the same time. Good luck on your first adventure, hope all goes well. I will certainly update you as to my findings.

Party of 5 · 03-27-2021, 03:50 AM

Hi Alex, I hope you’re having a great trip. Turns out the satellite coaxial is not fully run in my rig either (BH35). The dealer indicated additional steps are required to connect the TV’s, even though their website clearly says my rig was pre-wired. Needless to say, we are trying to compromise on a solution after I complained to management. I’ll keep you posted.

meyeagle · 03-29-2021, 10:32 PM

Alex and forum. I have the Magnitude BH35 and have been able to install the Dish Tailgate system using most of the existing cable system in the coach. One thing that everyone needs to realize with this system or any portable satellite system, need power to position the antenna in the small dome that they have. This power is provided by the receiver in the Dish system, through the cable connecting the antenna to the receiver.

So with that, you need to ensure whatever solution you put in, that is allows this DC voltage to ride the coaxial cable, uninterrupted and if you just split the incoming signal at the antenna switch panel in the cabinet of the coach, you have just isolated that DC voltage from the receiver reaching the antenna system.

Here is what I did and I think it works perfectly and allows the original operation of the antenna system to be unchanged. In the cabinet where you have the antenna power and distribution panel, I removed the entire wood panel from the side of the cabinet just to give me more room to work. once you remove that and the antenna power plate, you will find where the cables to the TV's run into this splitter and where the cable from the side of the coach that allows for CATV to come in from the RV park is connected. I disconnected that cable and replace the connections with a T couple found in the links below. This allows me to split the signal, but not isolate it, allowing the DC voltage from the Receiver to still pass to the antenna system. From this T connection, with a male to male F type couple I connected a 6" RG6 cable from the T couple to the connection that was originally used for the Park Cable input. The final male F type connection on the T adapter was connected to a 1meter RG 6 F type TV cable, which then connects to the antenna connection on the Dish Receiver. I did have to drill a hole in the wood panel to pass the cable to the receiver thru the panel, then just reinstalled the panel and power plate in the cabinet.

Links to parts used:

F type coupler: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

F type T Adapter: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

RG 6 6"Cable: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Let me figure out how to get some pictures up here and I will get some pics of the install when I was complete.

The great thing about this is if I want to use the Winegard digital tv antenna booster, to watch local tv I just turn on the power switch on the panel and I have digital TV. If I want to watch RV Park Cable or Dish Network, I turn the power "off" on the antenna plate which will allow either the cable TV from the Parked or Dish to be watched. Nice thing is even if the Dish is on the cable system will not recognize the DC voltage on the cable as the cable system does not look for the voltage on the cable.

Pics attached- sorry have tried to rotate them, without success

Hope this helps

Alex55 · 03-30-2021, 01:37 AM

meyeagle thanks for the solution! I was racking my brain trying to figure this out. I knew there was a way, but I didn't have the connectors to do it. Makes perfect sense to me now!, Gonna make this a project this weekend and get it done!

I removed the antenna plate but couldn't find where the splitter was. If I remove the entire panel hope that I can find the splitter some where close. Thanks again!

meyeagle · 03-30-2021, 02:16 PM

Alex,

The splitter is part of the power antenna plate. It has a built in splitter on it. That is why it does not work. I am going to try and have a conversation with Winegard to make a proper, lets call it a splitter coupler that will allow the correct connections type to the satellite antenna system and other video distribution devices.

Anyways, if you get things disassembled and have questions please ask. I am getting the coach back from some warranty work this weekend and was thinking of making a videl of that might help

Party of 5 · 03-30-2021, 07:09 PM

Meteagle,
That would be great if you could attach an email. I’m not a big hands on guy, but I can tinker a little bit. YouTube and I have become good friends. By chance, with how you connected your satellite would you be able to watch separate televisions if you attached a second satellite box?

Pat

meyeagle · 03-30-2021, 08:43 PM

Pat, two watch two different Satellite Channels on two different TV's would take two receivers and the use of the second antenna connection on the Satellite antenna system. I believe both the Dish Tailgater and the Playmaker have the dual receiver connections on the antenna dome housing. You would have to run an additional cable into the coach and connect it to the second receiver, but it is possible.

With our setup I have a Wireless HDMI distribution system where I can have the TV output HDMI distributed to the other two TV's in the coach. There is only the two of us, so most of the time we watch the same channel but want to see it on the other TV's in the coach. This system is in the Link below. It works pretty well, like anything in HDMI, there is some delay when switching channels between the audio and video, but we have had no issues with the wireless interfering with all the other wireless systems with have in the coach. If you look in the pics that a previously posted this HDMI system is the square box on the side panel of the cabinet.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Hope this helps, will try to get a video together as soon as I can
Matt

Party of 5 · 03-30-2021, 09:22 PM

Matt,
Thank you so much! It makes perfect sense. I appreciate your detailed information. I’m hope not to be watching much tv while we’re on the raid anyway!

Pat

Beau388 · 03-30-2021, 11:30 PM

Both DirecTV and Dish Network have receivers with more than 1 tuner that can deliver separate channels to individual TVs. Dish's most advanced receiver/DVR is the Hopper with 16 different tuners channels are distributed though the coach or home using coax to a Joey which is intern connected to a TV via HDMI cable.. The DirecTV receiver is the genie 2 (HS-17) which records 7 channels (2 may be 4K channels) while delivering 4 channels out to TVs wired with coax or wireless using clients. If the TV is RVU capable, the client is not needed for a coax connection with DirecTV. The genie 2 is SWM or single wire multiswitch and can carry 13 digital TV channels simultaneously and it only requires one coax from the LNB to the receiver. The coax may be tapped at any place to install a "green label" splitter for a client or RVU TV. Thus any channel going to the receiver or coming from the receiver is available to the client. Each client has a uniquely coded remote that controls the TV and only one client. All DirecTV clients and remotes have IR and RF capability.

For the casual TV watcher, Dish is a better deal. Local channels are available when traveling. You can start or discontinue service as you need it. All its programs are on the Ku frequencies. Its down fall is the programs come-in from 3 different galaxies, 4 degrees apart, so unless you use a big antenna with three different LNBs, you are limited to one galaxy at a time and only those channels on that sat (about 1/3 of the total available channels).

DirecTV currently transmits from 10 different satellites in 5 galaxies. English language channels are found in three galaxies, located 2 degrees apart, so one LNB is required. All programming is available in the Ka band reverse band and limited programing is available in the Ku band which is what all carry-out antennas use. With DirecTV here is never a need for the antenna to move if the channel being selected is on a different satellite. Receiving local channels when traveling is a pain, to say the least, but it can be done if the right person is contacted (level 2 tech). To my knowledge only Winegard makes a carry-out antenna for DirecTV.

You may read that DirecTV is discontinuing broadcasting on the Ku band. This is NOT true. DirecTV only discontinued broadcasting MPEG-2 encoded HDTV channels in 2019. D-9 satellite or ATT-9 located at the 101 degree equatorial galaxy still transmits MPEG-4 encoded HDTV channels in the Ku band.

Nothing about sat TV is simple for the first setup, as you are trying to receive a 5 to 12 watt, encrypted, polarized and encoded signal on a very high frequency (18 to 40 GHz); that is meant to cover the entire USA. It is really not that hard to setup an antenna, coax and receiver once you understand the principles. I been doing it for 26 years in one sort of RV or another and I was born well before WW-2 started.

Alex55 · 03-31-2021, 12:21 AM

Meteagle is there a way you could make a diagram? If you don't have time for a video, I can work from a diagram. I can see all 3 connections (cable tv from outside, bedroom and livingroom) and the power for the antenna. I just need to know where to place the connectors. Thanks!

Beau388 · 03-31-2021, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alex55

Meteagle is there a way you could make a diagram? If you don't have time for a video, I can work from a diagram. I can see all 3 connections (cable tv from outside, bedroom and livingroom) and the power for the antenna. I just need to know where to place the connectors. Thanks!

You need to tap into the coax coming in from outside BEFORE the installed splitter. Be sure and use a splitter that is rated for a satellite antenna such a green label splitter. Green label splitters have one of the output terminals colored red indicating it will pass DC current to power the antenna. The receiver should be connected to the red terminal. The coax going to the original splitter can go in any of the other terminals. Be sure and leave the shorting caps on any unused splitter terminals

taylorbob1 · 03-31-2021, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by meyeagle

Pat, two watch two different Satellite Channels on two different TV's would take two receivers and the use of the second antenna connection on the Satellite antenna system. I believe both the Dish Tailgater and the Playmaker have the dual receiver connections on the antenna dome housing. You would have to run an additional cable into the coach and connect it to the second receiver, but it is possible.

With our setup I have a Wireless HDMI distribution system where I can have the TV output HDMI distributed to the other two TV's in the coach. There is only the two of us, so most of the time we watch the same channel but want to see it on the other TV's in the coach. This system is in the Link below. It works pretty well, like anything in HDMI, there is some delay when switching channels between the audio and video, but we have had no issues with the wireless interfering with all the other wireless systems with have in the coach. If you look in the pics that a previously posted this HDMI system is the square box on the side panel of the cabinet.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Hope this helps, will try to get a video together as soon as I can
Matt

I did it slightly different...hard-wiring & using an HDMI 1 to 3 splitter

1) I roof mounted my Winegard sk-1000 dish and ran the coax into the cabinet where all my components & cabling is, then connected coax to DISHnet receiver (either Wally + hard drive or Hopper3)
2) From receiver, I ran HDMI cable to splitter
3) From splitter to three TVs, so each TV views same channel using the RF remote

Most difficult part was running and hiding the HDMI wire behind walls, appliances and cabinets.

I like that I can still use the Thor installed coax for RV park cable TV or Over-the-Air broadcasts with King jack digital roof antenna

Also, each TV has a separate HDMI for DVD player as well.

meyeagle · 04-01-2021, 02:22 PM

That is reason I preferred the Wireless HDMI distribution system, no wires and I felt that by the time I bought all the lengths of cable and firgured out how to install in in the coach, that I would pay just a little more to just plug the wireless HDMI receivers in

meyeagle · 04-01-2021, 02:27 PM

Alex,

Not sure you need a diagram, you have it in your hands, remove from the switch distribution point the cable from the outside and take one each of the parts I linked in the chat. The cable from the outside screws into the male part of the T coupler. Take the 6 inch RG6 cable and screw one end to the second male on the T coupler and to the males connection on the switch distribution where you took off the outside cable. Then with one of the male to male couplers, screw that into the female connector on the T coupler and the 1 M cable that will co to the receiver and you are done. That simple

Beau388 · 04-01-2021, 07:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by meyeagle

That is reason I preferred the Wireless HDMI distribution system, no wires and I felt that by the time I bought all the lengths of cable and firgured out how to install in in the coach, that I would pay just a little more to just plug the wireless HDMI receivers in

Why not buy or upgrade to a receiver/DVR that includes wireless client ability and is also connected to Wifi all in a 6" x 6" x 10" package. You only need coax connection to the client for 4K satellite reception.

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